Ranasinghe shines at Central Province TT tourney

By Shamseer Jaleel

Leading table tennis player Udaya Ranasinghe secured the S.M.S. Challenge Trophy at the Central Province Table Tennis Championship, which was worked off at the Jagath Rajapakse International Stadium off Gampola in Doluwa last weekend.

Ranasinghe, after enjoying an easy win at the open event beating schoolmate Thilinia Wijesiri, had a hard time in the Under 18 final, meeting Dinesh Kavishka, another Vidyartha College player in a tough five-setter. In the women’s open event, Ridmi Karandanarachchi, who beat Praveena Silva in the quarterfinals, was upset by 15-year-old Samadhi Hettiarachchi. Hettiarachchi won in straight sets.

Results

Under-8 Boys: Shafiullah Akram beat Nafeel Hassan 11-5, 11-4

Under-8 Girls: Dineshi Dissanaike beat Moksha Jayasuriya 6-11, 11-6, 11-9

Under-10 Boys: H.I. Rodrigo beat Akash Dimantha 11-9, 9-11, 11-9

Under-10 Girls: Mandini Mohottiarachchi beat HasiniIkiriwatte 8-11, 11-8, 12-10

Under-12 Boys: DhanushkaWijesinghe beat Bavendra Srimal 11-9, 11-6, 11-4

Under-12 Girls: Tharani Galaboda beat Samadhi Wedagedara 11-6, 13-11, 11-9

Under-15 Boys: C.M. Gunasekara beat Shakila Karunaratne 11-8, 11-6, 15-13

Under-15 Girls: Thanushi Rodrigo beat Samadhi Hettiarachchi 11-4, 4-11, 11-5

Under-18 Boys: Udaya Ranasinghe beat Dinesh Kavishka 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 12-10

Under-18 Girls: Praveena Silva beat Thanushi Rodrigo 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6

Open Men’s: Udaya Ranasinghe beat Thilina Wijesiri 11-9, 11-5, 11-8

Open Women’s: Samadhi Hettiarachchi beat Ridmi Karandanarachchi 14-12, 13-11, 11-7

Lanka Kids Girls: Erandi Dhananjaya (Ambatenns Model School) beat Shanthikumar Sanjana (Mowbray)

Under-8 Boys: Dinindu Ashinsa (Ambatenna Primary) beat Chamika Dhananjaya Kumara (Ambatenna Primary)

Under-12: UdaraMadushan (Kurunduwatte Royal) beat Ashen Thivanka (Ambatenna Model School)